The aim of the AMPTEC cluster project is to consolidate enhance and disseminate the results of the 2 seas projects: IDEA (Improving Drugs Efficacy and Availability) and MultiDES (Development of a multifunctional drug eluting stent) and expand their impact in the 2seas cross-border area and beyond. The expertise of the partners involved covers many areas: materials science, pharmaceutical technologies and medical devices.

The cluster AMPTEC is motivated by the presence in the geographical area of the 2 Seas of internationally recognized researchers who wish to carry out an innovative project together by joining forces and pooling their respective skills. It includes the Universities of Lille1 and Lille2, Cambridge, Ghent, Greenwich, East Anglia, the Cluster Nutrition Health Longevity, the Flemish SME SEPS Pharma and several associated partners: NOVITOM, CRISTAL THERAPEUTICS, the cluster UP-TEX , Ashford & St Peter's Hospitals NHS, and University College London.

The partners want to share their research capabilities and advanced equipment to meet a huge need for development of new pharmaceutical products in the solid state with improved properties : bioavailability , efficacy, safety , chemical and physical stability. Partners join their forces to meet these new challenges in the pharmaceutical and medical development with optimized technologies such as the production of nanoparticles, the use of solid dispersions, co- crystals and implantable devices.

With this aim, cluster partners will soon publish a multilingual brochure describing their research, technological development and training and organize an international conference in Lille (July 2014) with the participation of leading scientists, industrial researchers and local authorities. Three training schools will also be organized in France (June 2014), in the UK (July 2014), in Belgium (September 2014) and will involve lectures and practical training in the laboratory production, materials characterization and formulation techniques.